Tag: Global black Issues

To the universe and it’s creator,

for the atrocities that take place all over this world and for all of the lives lost unjustly,

I pray you bring those affected some comfort at this time.

I pray peace has found all of those who have lost their lives.

Let the tragedies such as the ones that we have witnessed, remind us to appreciate the value of all human life, and reconnect us with humanitarianism in all of it’s forms. To propel advocacy towards the reduction of worldwide suffering and the eradication of terrorism and massacre.

God is with us.

God is within us.

Ashe

Sunday morning.

I sat in my living room watching the news coverage of the Paris bombings that had taken place the Friday evening before and were allegedly carried out by members of the extreme Islamic group, ISIS. I thought of the lives lost and the turmoil it had placed France and it’s citizens in, and felt genuinely aggrieved for them.

I was also still equally aggrieved over the Massacre at a University in Garissa Kenya,that took place in April of this year and the lack of Western media attention that it received. Both Paris and Kenya experienced tragic incidents, however I am being given the impression that the media do not agree, even though 147 people in Kenya died. In contrast to the lack of airtime Kenya was given, the Paris coverage has been endless. In fact, it has been on loop.

I wonder if the obvious lack of Western news coverage on the Kenya attacks in comparison to the recent Paris attacks, is simply down to an imbalance of newsworthiness between the two stories, or a case of western de-sensitisation to non-white suffering?

The argument of newsworthiness is an interesting one. I am sure if the Garissa university terrorist attack had taken place in an American or European university , it would have been all over our television screens and there would have been one minute silences being set up all over the place. It appears that the constant exposure of non-white suffering to western viewers has made stories like Kenya’s played out and not worth the trouble of covering.

So, are white lives really more newsworthy than black lives?

When speaking in the case of western media, the answer in short, is yes.

Terrorism for us, ‘Just too bad’ for you

Aside from the disgust I feel at what has happened to the innocent people who have lost their lives and were injured in Paris, the fact remains that this attack was an ISIS reprisal for France’s part in the ongoing unrest in Syria, and this, apart from it being an attack on a European country, is a significant aspect to the story and the attention that it is receiving.

The perpetrator’s identity is significant because it means that there is now yet another page to add to the western ‘war on terror’ portfolio that The USA and Europe have been building since that fateful day on September 11th, 2001. This of course, furthers the agenda toward the inevitable ostracisation of Islam and all of it’s people, despite the extremism of only a few.

Although the Kenya attack was also an act of terrorism, it is widely agreed that the victims of terrorism (especially Islamic terrorism) as shown through the lense of western media, are always presented as white people in every scenario, and so this story just did not make the cut. How could an event so tragic and paying such little regard to human life not make it through to our Television screens on a global scale?

Well, i argue that it is because the victims just are not white enough.

The fluctuating value of black life

It all boils down to this: black lives only matter sometimes. Only when the loss of black life is tied by the media to sensationalism,racial tension and victim/aggressor uncertainty between black and white communities (such as the examples we have been seeing in America recently), is there any real attention given from western media. The 147 people slain in Kenya were undoubtedly innocent victims, however the coverage remains sparse. It seems that a tragedy such as the one in Kenya has been categorised as something that just happens in ‘those type of countries, ‘ and is not a matter the west feel they should be concerning themselves with.

The racial tensions in America received global media attention.

The story of the Garissa University massacre in Kenya and the global respect that should have been shown because of the significance of human life and the loss of it, was hung out by the western media to dry, in the rain.

When Facebook harassed me with notifications asking if I would like to turn my profile picture background to blue, red and white in support of Paris, I just thought nah, Facebook you are too rude. I like to think that I engage my critical thinking skills enough not to be swept along with waves of mediated uninformed solidarity, without taking the time to look into the intricacies of the situation, especially when there is no call to action to do the same for people who look like me.

but do they?

The same media that attempted to hi-jack the ‘black lives matter’ movement in favour of ‘all lives matter’, have shown that they infact do not believe this to be true themselves. In an attempt to remain somewhat even handed on this topic however, I must raise the point that we as black people cannot sit and expect others to tell our stories well, or tell them at all. We also should not base the value of black life on the amount of attention that the white world gives it for any other purpose then for it’s own entertainment.

Yes Black lives matter: Just not to all of the people, all of the time.

I read theGuardian article detailing Cameron’s brief engagement of the conversation regarding the repayment of reparations to Jamaica for Britain’s part in the African slave trade. Cameron, when finally addressing the issue on his trip to Jamaica earlier this week, advised Jamaica should “move on from the awful legacy of slavery”.

Wait… what?

At this point I felt myself giving the whole of the British government and all of British society for that matter a significant side eye.

Cameron in his speech stated:

“That the Caribbean has emerged from the long shadow it cast is testament to the resilience and spirit of its people. I acknowledge that these wounds run very deep indeed. But I do hope that, as friends who have gone through so much together since those darkest of times, we can move on from this painful legacy and continue to build for the future.”

My problem with it all

No British prime minister has visited Jamaica in the past 14 years. However when one finally decides to drop by, it is to discuss building Jamaican prisons to deport Jamaican prisoners residing in British prisons that currently cannot be deported. This is due to the state of Jamaica’s prisons at present, and the human rights laws that Britain would breach if it were to send Jamaican prisoners back to incarceration in their birthplace at this time.

So in short, the visit was regarding alleviating the strain on the British prison system. The British government have done the calculations and realised that it is cheaper to build a prison in Jamaica than it is to build more prisons in Britain, (and of course, where would they find the space for more prisons here? With all those pesky immigrants taking over the UK and what not)

Considering the fact that Britain is only in touch with Jamaica when it affords them some benefit; Am I wrong in questioning the authenticity of this ‘friendship’ Cameron speaks of?

David Cameron’s guard of honour welcome after he landed in Jamaica earlier this week.

Personal responsibility and it’s discontents

Poverty has ripped through Jamaicaever since it was granted it’s destitution, or as it is more popularly termed, it’s ‘independence’ from British colony in 1962 and the economy has failed to progress ever since. Jamaica struggles with many aspects of society including education, healthcare and infrastructure, and David Cameron shows up to speak about prisons?

Cameron’s ‘let’s move on’ perspective shows that there is no humanitarian hand in the way Britain are tackling the reparation conversation, only age-old western economic preservation and greed.

Cameron focused his discourse on the efforts Britain had put forth to bring Slavery to an end, placing Britain as the lesser of two evils with the US, who did not abolish the slave trade until 1865, 58 years after Britain. A point that Britain evidently feel is a redeeming factor.

Cameron’s speech on this issue was at best disingenuous and at worst, evasive and condescending.

Slavery and it’s economic consequences are still impacting Jamaican life in the present day

Britain’s first slave expedition was carried out by John Hawkins of Plymouth, Devon in 1562. Hawkins sailed to Africa and kidnapped approximately 400 African people for free labour in the west Indies. From official beginning to end, the slave trade spanned a total of 278 years. No compensation. And more to the point, no apology.

Reparations to repair a nation?

Here’s an idea. Firstly, why doesn’t Britain relieve all Afro-Carribean citizens living in Britain of income tax for the next 278 years? The same amount of time as their involvement in the trade of African slaves. They should also foot the bill for re-building the Jamaican economy. In agreement with Upinthear.com, I believe Britain should in addition begin the process of writing off Jamaica’s enormous national debt.

Britain has a way of selling it’s own supremacy as equality. Pushing the notion that we are all so far removed for slavery and it’s effects, that slavery itself no longer has any relevance. This is not true, as it is clear to see that descendants of African slaves worldwide are still at a significant economic disadvantage.

If we are to truly move on from slavery, then we need to remedy it’s consequences. If Cameron’s obvious dismissal of this issue does not encourage and drive all those who had previously signedthe contract of post-racialismto opt out of said contract and speak up, then nothing will.